Utilities

C.R.S. tit. 31, art. 32
in effect

C.R.S. § 31-32-101 Franchise granted by ordinance

31-32-101. Franchise granted by ordinance. No franchise or license giving or granting to any person the right or privilege to erect, construct, operate, or maintain a street railway, electric light plant or system, gasworks, gas plant or system, geothermal system, solar system, or telegraph or telephone system within any city or town or to use the streets or alleys of a city or town for such purposes shall be granted or given by any city or town in this state in any other manner or form than by an ordinance passed and published in the manner set forth in this part 1.

C.R.S. § 31-32-102 Notice of application - publication

31-32-102. Notice of application - publication. Any person desiring to secure a franchise or license for any of the purposes named in section 31-32-101 shall cause a notice of its intention to apply to the governing body of the city or town for the passage of an ordinance granting such franchise or license. Notice shall be published, in a newspaper of general circulation published in such city or town, once a week for three successive weeks immediately prior to the next regular meeting of the governing body at which it is intended to apply for the passage of the ordinance granting or giving such franchise or license. Such notice shall specify the regular meeting of the governing body at which it is intended to apply for such franchise or license, the name of the applicant therefor, a general description of the rights and privileges to be applied for, and the time for and terms upon which such franchise or license is desired. If there is no newspaper of general circulation published within the city or town, such notice may be published by posting copies thereof in six public places for the same length of time.

C.R.S. § 31-32-103 Ordinance read twice - publication before passage

31-32-103. Ordinance read twice - publication before passage. Every such ordinance shall be read at least twice in full, once at the time of its introduction and again before the question of its passage is voted upon. No governing body of any city or town shall permit any such ordinance to be introduced or read for the first time at any meeting other than the regular meeting specified in such notice nor unless proof of compliance by the applicant with section 31-32-102 is first presented to such governing body in the form of a publisher's affidavit of publication or a certificate of the clerk of the posting of such notice. When such ordinance has been introduced and read for the first time, the governing body, if it desires to further consider the granting of the rights or privileges sought for thereby, shall order the same to be published daily in a paper of general circulation published in such city or town for a period of not less than two weeks prior to the time such ordinance is again read and put upon its passage. If there is no paper of general circulation published daily in such city or town, such publication shall be made in a paper of general circulation published weekly in such city or town. If there is no such paper published daily or weekly, such publication shall be made by posting copies of such proposed ordinance in at least six public places in such municipality for the same period of time. No such ordinance shall be adopted or passed by the governing body of any city or town unless the same has been previously introduced and read and publication first made as provided for in this section. Such previous introduction and reading of such ordinance and the fact of its publication in a newspaper or by posting shall appear in the certificate and the attestation of the clerk on such ordinance after its adoption.

C.R.S. § 31-32-104 Majority vote required for passage

31-32-104. Majority vote required for passage. Every such ordinance shall require for its passage or adoption the concurrence of a majority of all the members of the governing body of the city or town.

C.R.S. § 31-32-105 Cities or towns may erect utilities

31-32-105. Cities or towns may erect utilities. Nothing in this part 1 shall be construed as in any way modifying or restricting the right of cities or towns to purchase or erect electric light works, heating and cooling works and distribution systems for the distribution of heat and cooling obtained from geothermal resources, solar or wind energy, hydroelectric or renewable biomass resources, including waste and cogenerated heat, or gasworks in the manner provided for by law.

C.R.S. § 31-32-201 Financing acquisition of utilities

31-32-201. Financing acquisition of utilities. (1) In any municipality possessed of authority to acquire public utilities operating under general law or under article XX of the state constitution, unless otherwise provided by the charter of such municipality, no public utility shall be acquired until the plan for such acquisition has been adopted by ordinance and such ordinance has been approved at a regular or special election in the manner provided for authorization of bonded indebtedness by section 31-15-302 (1)(d). Nothing in this subsection (1) shall prevent the institution of condemnation proceedings as may be provided by law or require an election with respect to water facilities or sewerage facilities. (2) Such ordinance shall describe the property to be acquired, the full purchase price to be paid by such municipality therefor, and the method of payment thereof as well as the total obligations to be incurred by such municipality in making such acquisition, whether by way of general obligation bonds of such municipality issued under the provisions of section 6 of article XI of the state constitution or by way of obligations chargeable solely or in part against the income of such utility, or both. In the event of the issuance of obligations payable solely out of income, all operating and other costs shall be met solely out of income of the utility acquired. (3) Said ordinance may provide for the payment into such income fund for service to be rendered for municipal purposes, but such payments shall at all times be reasonable.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-31.docxFetched: 10/6/2026

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C.R.S. tit. 31, art. 32 — Utilities | Colorado Revised Statutes (2024 edition) — Colorado | Corpus